Dirty Secrets
by Silver Kiramoto
Summary: What would the Naruto world be like if they were dropped in to a high school and a new Uchiha survivor showed up? Follow Gaara, Naruto, and Sasuke in this paralell world that was never meant to be!
1. Chapter 1

Hooray for Naruto fanfictions! :D Just...Kinda go along with this one. It's basically the same storyline as the manga, just...different...if that makes any sense.... In a way, it's just set up so I can have most of the characters in one place at the same time.

Points of view will change-often. Normally it's just between Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto, but others will occasionally drop in, like Itachi and a few more made-up characters of mine. So, have fun, and at the end I'll give out a fun little guide explaining how to pronounce a few names and words you might not know. Have a fun read!

* * *

**Gaara**

He gazed at the impressive Konaha High School, surrounded by trees so tall they appeared to block the sun itself. A school where you could learn all of the normal things, like math, science, literature, and history. However, its main purpose was to train future shinobi.

Gaara followed his brother and sister, happy to attend the same school as his friends, but nervous about how he would be treated. While he was trying his best to leave his past behind, it had the tendency to creep up on him...

"Whoah!" Something moved in the corner of Gaara's eye, and he reflexively whipped around and caught a falling girl. Books and papers spilled everywhere, causing her to cry out in protest. He did manage to catch the hat that had fallen off of her head, exposing a cascade of long, straight chestnut hair. "Oh no! My books!" she said mournfully, unaware of Gaara's shock as he watched a fox tail lash about under her skirt. Part of him worried that the uniform's skirt was a bit too short to allow such an oddity-the rest wanted to know why it was even there.

The girl righted herself after collecting her things, then bowed to her rescuer. "Thank you very much," she said, smiling at him with apologetic brown eyes. "Sorry if I caused any trouble!" She didn't even wait for a response. Instead she ran off, calling a warm-hearted, "Hinata-chan!"

Gaara could only stare after her, wondering who could possibly be the girl who received such dirty looks from the students around her.

"Jerks," Temari growled, glaring at a couple of snickering girls. "They tripped her on purpose!"

"Calm down, Temari," said Kankuro. "Deal with them when no one's looking. We promised Lady Tsunade we'd be no trouble, here." Grumbling, Temari followed Kankuro inside. But Gaara stayed behind, picking up a paper left behind by the girl. It was a drawing of Naruto, the nickname "Naru-chan" written elegantly at the top. The artist was signed, "Uchiha Setsuna."

---

"Hey there, Gaara!" greeted Uzumaki Naruto, grinning like a fool at his once demon-infused friend. "It's good to see you!"

"You as well," replied Gaara.

"Hey, what classes do you have?" The blonde snatched his friend's schedule. "We've got gym and history together! I hear Kakashi-sensei's going to teach us some awesome jutsus this year."

"Sounds good." Naruto laughed at the boy's nonchalant attitude. "Have you had any luck with Sasuke?" This brought down Naruto's mood, bringing about an angry sigh.

"He won't even talk to anyone. Just runs around with Orochimaru all the time." He shook his head. "Granny Tsunade thought his cousin's appearance might catch his attention, but all he's done is accept her in to the Uchiha complex."

"But I thought Itachi had murdered everyone but Sasuke?" It seemed unlikely that anyone had escaped the slaughter. Gaara knew the young Uchiha had felt the same.

"Seems her old man kept her a secret," Naruto explained. "Bastard had a one-night stand with a demon that had taken on a human form. She died during childbirth, so he was left with a half-demon baby." Gaara felt the same angry disgust for the deceased Uchiha that his friend easily expressed with a string of curses. "Asshole thought he was too good to deal with his own problems, so he dumped his newborn baby on an old couple's doorstep. Didn't even know she had a clan until her Sharingan developed two years back. Since then she's been looking for any living family members she might have."

Gaara rolled the story about in his head, hoping the girl at least had something going for her. That's when he remembered the girl he had helped that morning. "Naruto, was she the one who drew this?" He produced the paper from his pocket and offered it toward the boy.

"Oh." The blonde laughed sheepishly. "That would be Sasuke's cousin, alright. She likes to give people nicknames..." Gaara smiled a little at the name written on the paper. "She's super friendly, thought. Kiba thinks she acts like a new puppy, the way Setsuna gets so hyper. Sakura thinks she's worse than me!" Naruto laughed again as the bell rang. "Well, see you later, Gaara!"

With that, the friends seperated. Gaara's first class was biology, where he found the odd girl, Setsuna, being forced inside. "No! I don't wanna go!" she cried, struggling out of their grip and running right in to Gaara. She decided to use him as a shield against Hyuuga Hinata, TenTen, Rock Lee, and an impatient looking blonde kunoichi with blue eyes. "He's creepy, touches me weird, and he smells funny," Setsuna declared, tail drooping like a frightened dog. "I don't wanna go!"

"Setsuna, you have to," Hinata said gently, giving her friend a worried look.

"She's right," added Lee. "Gai-sensei says you won't graduate if you can't pass this class again."

"What's wrong?" Gaara asked hesitantly, looking back at the cowering half-demon. She began whimpering.

"She's scared of Orochimaru-sensei." The blonde ninja was the one to speak up. She was looking at her friend with a mixture of pity and annoyance. "Setsuna, get in class _now_."

"I'll make sure he doesn't do anything," Gaara promised. Setsuna perked up a little and a small smile spread across her face. She nodded and allowed him to lead her in to the classroom, clinging with all her might to his sleeve.

They sat down in the farthest seats from the sensei's desk, right next to a tank holding a large tarantula. Setsuna appeared to be trying to melt in to the shadows, which is hard when you have a tail swishing about right behind you. By the time the year ended, she would probably be voted 'Worst Ninja' because of it.

Suddenly she began shaking violently, crouching low in her desk as Orochimaru-sensei entered the room. Everyone quieted instantly, revering the man with a fearful respect. "Good morning students," he hissed, giving the class a disturbing grin. "I trust you all have an interesting summer?" No one answered, and Orochimaru didn't seem to care. "Today I thought we might discuss plant cells. Now, I'm sure you already know about animal cells." The sensei was slowly making his way down the aisles, lightly touching each desk with his fingers. Setsuna sank lower with every step. "Can anyone tell me one of the differences between these two cells? Uchiha-san?"

Setsuna jumped a little, finding Orochimaru hovering above her. "Uh..." she muttered, appearing to try to reassure herself. "Plant cells...h-have cell walls...?"

"Very good, Uchiha-san," said the sensei. "Anything else?" Gaara noticed the man coming steadily closer to Setsuna, who cringed away as he looked at her like a hunter with a rare animal. All he needed to do was skin it.

"Plant cells possess cytoplasm, right, Orochimaru-sensei?" The man turned slowly to the blonde kunoichi, whose eyes seemed to challenge their instructor.

"Correct, Mai Tsukisaya-san," he answered. "I'm surprised to see so many past students in here. Didn't all of you pass Biology?"

"We like to overacheive where we can," TenTen chimed. "Right, Lee?"

"Most certainly!"

"How nice." Orochimaru smiled in a way that Gaara guessed to be "friendly." It wasn't fooling anyone. "However, Uchiha-san did _not_ pass this class. Thus, I would prefer it if you allowed her to answer the questions I give her. " He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I do wish to help my...struggling students." Setsuna winced as his grip tightened.

When she let out a pained whine, Gaara said, "Sensei. Perhaps we could return to the lesson? Most of us are here for the first time." Orochimaru fixed a cold glare on the boy, but he did return to the front of the class.

"Thank you," whispered Setsuna to her friends as well as Gaara. "Hey, boy. I never got your name."

"I'm...Gaara," he replied. "I transferred from Sunagakure."

"That's cool. I'm Setsuna. It's nice to meet you." Gaara returned the pleasantries, but they were catching Orochimaru-sensei's attention so they ended the conversation there. Halfway through the class, he could hear a small scratching noise. A glance behind him showed that Setsuna was drawing on a piece of paper. She passed it forward a second later, and he saw it was a little cartoon of the two of them eating lunch together. Next to it she had written, "Do you want to?" There were two boxes, one titled "Yes" and the other "No." Gaara checked off his answer and passed it back. Setsuna smiled brightly.

The bell rang and Gaara watched Setsuna dart out of the room before Orochimaru could have a chance to say anything to her. She waited just outside for the others, but she was sure to hover away from the view of the door. "So, Gaara-kun," chirped the girl. Her tail wagged back and forth as she addressed her new friend. "What class do you have next?"

"Gym with Kakashi-sensei," he replied after a quick glance at his schedule. Gym was the longest class of the day.

"How cool! Mai-chan, Nina-chan, Saki-chan, and I are the same! I can introduce you to Nina-chan and Saki-chan when we get there!" The next thing he knew, Setsuna was dragging Gaara and Mai off to the gym. She appeared absolutely delighted with the idea, so much so that it made the boy of sand nervous. His new friend didn't appear to know his horrific past, but what if her friends did? Would she still want him after that?

It was too late to back down, though. Setsuna had pushed him in to the gym while she and Mai-san changed clothes, leaving him to be approached by Naruto. "I see you've met Setsuna," he said with a grin. "What do you think so far?"

"Why does Orochimaru act like that around her?" Gaara asked instead, catching the boy off-guard. "She's so afraid of him, and I know he can see it. But he just makes it worse!" Naruto sighed, running his hand through his hair as he contemplated his response.

"He's been that way since Setsuna showed up," he finally said. "No one knows why, exactly, but she's always saying he feels bad. You know-evil. She's afraid he wants to use her to hurt others."

"Naru-chan!" Setsuna called, tackling the blonde and hugging him. Her tail was wagging again. "Oh, you've already met Gaara-kun?"

"Yea, we go a few years back," he replied, ruffling her hair.

"Okay." Setsuna then turned to a tiny, fluffy-haired blonde and a skinny brunette. "The little one is Nina Akinori-we like to call her Chibi-chan-and the other one is Saki Gyo." The two waved, but Setsuna still prattled on as she said, "Saki-chan has a crush on Sasuke-kun, but she likes to deny--" Saki-san clamped her hand tightly over the demon girl's mouth, muffling her words as she blushed.

"Ignore Setsuna-chan," said Saki-san. "She just likes to tease."

"But I'm sure Sasuke-kun would--" Setsuna's words resulted in a hard pinch, causing her to yelp. With a whimper, she ducked behind Gaara. "Saki-chan's mean," she whined.

"Only because Sasuke-san is in the room," grummbled her friend. Setsuna looked around with interest.

"Sasuke-kun is in this class?" As she surveyed the area, Gaara could have sworn he could hear her sniff the air. "I wonder why he didn't say we had classes together? Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Gaara turned in the direction she began waving to. The Uchiha in question didn't even glance at her. "Huh. Maybe he didn't hear me," she decided, skipping over to her cousin. "Sasuke-kun! Hey, Sasuke-kun!!"

**Sasuke**

Sasuke stared at the advancing girl, inwardly sighing at her joyful expression. he still could not believe he had been saddled with her, being told she was some distant, lost cousin of his. Unfortunately her Sharingan was undeniable proof that they shared the same bloodline, so he was obligated to take her in. But she could be so suffocating, trying to draw him in to a family setting she had built up in her mind. Why couldn't she just stay with that damn old couple so he could complete his goals in peace?

But trying convincing _her_ of that...

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, tail wagging and eyes wide with happiness. Sasuke wanted to hit her. "I didn't see you this morning. I was hoping we could walk to school together, but I guess you were busy. But we can walk home, instead." Sasuke didn't reply. He just let the girl talk on, barely paying attention. She'd probably forget about it all, anyway. "Hey, Sasuke-kun," she said, prodding him gently in the ribs. "What should we have for dinner tonight?"

"Who cares?" he snapped, and Setsuna's face fell.

"Okay then..." The girl tugged on a lock of hair. "Uh...how about...sashimi...?" She watched Sasuke hopefully. He suspected she was trying to find out things he liked-they had eaten a different type of meal each day since Setsuna had arrived. They were good, provided nothing distracted her. Setsuna was the only person he knew who could set fire to water. This was no exaggeration. He watched it happen.

"Whatever," Sasuke said, shooing her off. He knew Kakashi-sensei would take at least another ten minutes to show up to class. He wanted to spend it in peace.

"Alright...Sasuke-kun..." Tail drooping like a punished dog, Setsuna went back to Naruto and the others. The blonde mentioned watched her with knowing eyes before shooting Sasuke a dark look. He looked away like he hadn't noticed. Let Naruto be angry. He was already more of a brother to her than Sasuke was even an aquaintance, anyway.

The only good that came from her was that she eliminated one of his goals. Only one  
Uchiha was needed to revive the clan, and Setsuna would be fine doing that on her own...

**Naruto**

No good, stuck up, BASTARD. Couldn't he at least call her by her first name? Hell, last name! Instead he gave her three-word answers at most before thrusting her off on someone else.

Setsuna didn't complain much, she only sighed and wished Sasuke would open up to her. He wanted to confront her about it, but Kakashi-sensei's bad timing kept Naruto from doing anything. Instead they were instructed to pair up, and Setsuna quickly took Gaara as her partner, smiling as if nothing had happened. Sighing, Naruto paired with Nina, who giggled when Saki was forced to partner with Sasuke. What she saw in him, he'd never know...

"Alright, everyone," Kakashi began, nose in his book. "Today we're working with Genjutsu." Ugh. Why couldn't it be anything cool? "I want you to stop your partner from attacking you using whatever Genjutsu you can think of." He casually flipped the page. "Switch roles when I blow the whistle. Go."

Neither Naruto nor Nina could really complete the task assigned. Naruto's vision would occasionally change to a scene where Nina would disappear, but it was brief and she would reappear. Setsuna-while she was generally bad at performing Ninjutsu or Taijutsu-was able to stop Gaara's attack before he could even begin. She laughed triumphantly when the boy halted abruptly, looking at his surroundings in confusion. In turn, Gaara was able to execute a proper Genjutsu, but Setsuna stumbled forward blindly anyway before tripping over herself and falling to the ground. Then, to Naruto's annoyance, Sasuke was able to pin Saki to the ground within seconds. Both turns.

The entire first day in gym was just drills and reviews, which wasn't too surprising. Setsuna had managed to hit her head during an obsticle course, causing a roar of laughter to follow her out of the class. Naruto shot the idiots dark looks that went unnoticed.

"That was fun," Setsuna said, grinning broadly as she clung to Mai's arm. "What's next? Math for Mai-chan and me."

"History," Gaara said. Naruto and Saki confirmed that they were the same. Nina had biology, and the mere mention sent a shiver through Setsuna.

"Don't let him get to you," Naruto stated. "Think about something else."

"Okay," she muttered. "I'll think about sashimi. Naru-chan, want to have dinner with Sasuke-kun and me?"

"I dunno..." Naruto didn't like the idea of spending his evening with Sasuke, not when the jerk hadn't spoken to his so-called "best friend" in nearly two years.

"Please?" begged the girl. "Maybe Sasuke-kun will be more talkative with you. Or at least say what's on his mind."

"Just give up on that emo kid," Mai suggested coldly. "If he wants to be a pissy little asshole, let him. It's his loss."

"I just want us to be a real family." Setsuna sighed. "I thought we'd _both_ be happy if we were with a living family member. But he barely even talks to me. Am I just asking for too much?" Naruto watched as she stared off at nothing, lost in her thoughts like she often was. He felt that Sasuke should feel grateful; to have family that cared so much about him. Naruto could only _wish_ he had that.

"Fine, I'll go," growled the blonde. "But I'm going for you and the food. Sasuke can go screw himself." With a squeal, Setsuna hugged Naruto tightly, tail wagging away once more. She really was like a puppy...

"Thank you so much, Naru-chan!" she exclaimed. "See you at lunch!" Then she ran off, barely leaving the boy time to collect himself.

---

Lunch rolled around, and Naruto was happily slurping his ramen. Thoughts of Sasuke had been forced in to the back of his mind as Mai dared Gaara to eat the slimy surprise...whatever that the school had laid out for them. It looked gelatiness, and Setsuna had only taken it because she thought it was fascinating.

"It jiggles!" she cried, wiggling the tray about. "I want to eat it, but I'm afraid it's poisonous." She poked it with her finger and shivered. "Ewwww, it's warm..." She poked it again.

"I bet they let Orochimaru-sensei make it," TenTen teased, earning a warning look from Setsuna. "Before you know it, it'll jump up and take you to his secret lab!"

"Don't even joke about that." But everyone laughed, even Setsuna. "Hey, Lee. Bet you can't stomache it," she challenged.

"Oh really?" He took the tray from her hands, holding a giant glob of it on his chopsticks. The group around him began chanting, "Eat it! Eat it!" as the substance came steadily closer to the boy's lips. but before he could pluck up the courage and take a bite, Sasuke bumped in to Lee, smushing it all over his face. He didn't even spare his old rival a passing glance.

"Hey!" Naruto had stood, pissed. "You can at least apologize!" The asshole didn't even turn around. "Damnit, answer me!"

"Naruto, don't," Hinata urged, trying to get him to sit down.

"No! This is the last fucking straw!" Without putting any real thought in to it, Naruto launched himself at Sasuke. Of course he was prepared for it. The Uchiha whipped around, blocking Naruto's attack and punching him in the gut. This knocked the air out of him, but he quickly landed his own hit.

Before any further damage could be done, Kakashi and Jaraiya-sensei pulled the boys apart. "You bastard!" Naruto snarled. "You god damned BASTARD!"

"Naruto!" snapped Jaraiya. "Calm yourself!" But the boy ignored him, too transfixed on the Uchiha's emotionless face.

"What is she to you?! Don't you even care that she wants to know you?!"

"She's nothing," Sasuke stated. "Nothing at all." He turned and walked away.

* * *

Say them fast for the words to make sense, once you understand the pronunciation. (I know this should be obvious, but I'm making sure that everyone completely understands because...Well...You know...)

Setsuna- set-soo-nuh

Mai- ma-ee

Nina- nee-nuh

Saki- sah-kee

Tsukisaya- soo-kee-sa-ee-yuh

Gyo- g-yoh

sensei- sen-say

-kun- suffix used to address young men who are close to you

-san- suffix used to address someone politely. Similar to saying Miss, Mr., or Mrs.

-chan- suffix to address girls and children you are close to

-sama- rarely used suffix often addressed towards someone of high status

-sensei- suffix used to refer to a teacher, instructor, or a master of a craft (a writer, manga artist, etc.)


	2. Past

_**Last time...**_

_"What is she to you?! Don't you even care that she wants to know you?!"_

_"She's nothing," Sasuke stated. "Nothing at all." He turned and walked away._

------------

**Gaara**

Setsuna appeared completely frozen. She watched without really seeing, her face trapped in a mix of shock and pain. Gaara wanted to reach out to her, to shake her from her daze. But she did that on her own.

"Lets get you cleaned up, Lee," she said, voice cracking. The pair walked off in silence.

Gaara glanced around the group; Hinata's head was down. TenTen tried to joke with Nina. Mai's fist was clenched so hard, blood dripped on to the floor. But he couldn't seem to do anything, not even disappear like Saki. He felt numb, empty. A knot of rage hid somewhere in his chest, but it would not rise to the surface. He felt useless.

The rest of the day was gone in a flash. Naruto and Sasuke were scheduled detention after school, leaving Setsuna on her own. Gaara watched her mill about in front of the school, and he approached.

"Would you like to walk together?" he asked. She looked a little surprised, but she smiled and nodded.

They were silent on the way to the Uchiha complex. She didn't seem to want to talk, and Gaara didn't believe it was appropriate to pressure her.

So it surprised him when Setsuna asked, "Do you have family, Gaara-kun?"

"Yes," he replied. "A brother and sister." Setsuna nodded, and he went on. "They used to be afraid of me, you know." Her eyes trained a little more on him. "Even a while after I had tried to stop being so frightening. I was convinced they wouldn't be able to accept me."

"You sound like an after-school special," Setsuna joked.

"It's true, though." They stopped in front of the huge complex. Setsuna stood silent for some time.

"You're very nice, Gaara-kun," she said at last, offering a shy smile. He returned the guesture. "Gaara-kun? Would you like to stay for dinner? Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun won't be home for a long time."

"That sounds...good." Gaara watched as the demon-girl lit up, and he suddenly felt embarrassed. It was strange to be with someone who could be so easily pleased when an invite was accepted. And, as he was led inside the Uchiha complex, he wondered how deep her desire for family and friends ran. Enough to have kept faith in Sasuke, at least.

The decoration of the main house was meager at best, and Gaara had a feeling it was at least that because Setsuna had managed to convince her cousin to let her. The place with the most to see was the living area, and it was easy to tell that Sasuke never went there. A table and mats were set out for serving tea, and there was a chair in one corner for reading. An end table was covered in drawings, some complete, others discarded. Yet the most noticeable feature was the east-side wall; top to bottom it was littered with picture frames, most of which connected to Setsuna in some way. There were group pictures, solo pictures, silly pictures, happy pictures, surprised pictures, pictures of Naruto, Hinata, Lee, TenTen, Mai, Saki, Nina, a boy that could only be Saki's own relative, and an elderly couple, holding a young Setsuna in their arms. But the only photo, Gaara noticed, that contained Sasuke was one Setsuna could not connect to. It was from a different time-a happier time, one she had sadly missed.

In the middle of all the frames was a thirteen-year-old Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, their teacher, Kakashi, laughing behind them as the two boys scowled. It was an objection to having their picture taken with one another, but it was warm and happy all the same. "Sasuke-kun won't let me take his picture," said Setsuna when she caught Gaara looking. "I like to collect them, you know. Pictures. It's hard for me to remember faces, so I like to have them so I don't forget." Then she grinned and asked, "Want to see my special photos?"

"Alright," he answered. Setsuna took him by the hand and led him down a hall, past a series of doors. At last they reached the end, and the room inside seemed to belong to the half-demon. It was far more cluttered that the rest of the house, with drawings scattered everywhere. Gaara almost laughed, but Setsuna took no notice. She ran to her dresser and snatched two frames from the top, then handed them to her guest. The first photo had obviously been through a lot, but he could still make out the figure. A beautiful young woman with long, flowing red hair and alluring brown eyes. Everything about her seemed to invite danger and excitement all at once. She could only be Setsuna's demon mother. The next picture had been in better care, containing a young Uchiha with chestnut hair past his shoulders and mischevious-yet proud-black eyes. The father that had abandoned and unworthy daughter.

"I was surprised dad had kept a picture of mom," Setsuna told him with a grin. "I don't resemble dad at all, though, do I?" She chuckled as Gaara examined the photo again. He had to disagree-Setsuna had the man's facial structure, and the way the cheekbones and nose were set, though he could understand her skeptisism. Her father was lovely; he could almost pass for a girl, if you didn't know better.

For the rest of the evening Gaara listened to Setsuna's stories of travel and the things she had seen. She talked about the old couple, who were kind and tried their best to raise her. They had told her that she reminded them of their lost grandchild. "They were very good to me," Setsuna said. "They were quite old, though. I had to raise myself, mostly."

Gaara swallowed his bite of sashimi and asked, "What was the village like?" Setsuna seemed to think it over before answering.

"Skittish, I'd say. But I only went out twice while staying there. The first time, kids hurt me and said bad things. The second time, I left to look for my family." Setsuna didn't appear troubled by any of this, but Gaara felt a sudden connection between them. He could imagine only too well what those people had said to her. Likely the same things villagers had told him, and Gaara hadn't possessed the bizarre features that Setsuna did. In places where he wasn't known, the boy of sand could hide what he was. Setsuna couldn't.

Without thinking, he placed his hand on Setsuna's, earning a lost and slightly shy look in return. "You're not a monster," Gaara stated in nearly a whisper. "Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, alright?"

**Sasuke**

"Don't worry about me," Setsuna replied, smiling. "I bounce back pretty easily." Sasuke had been watching from the shadows. He was listening to the stories-Setsuna had an interesting way of telling them, so you were both in the conversation and the scene she spoke of. But it was the last part that truly held him, the words Gaara said to her. It made Sasuke think of what he had said earlier. It made him picture the pain that had fallen in to her eyes.

"Thank you for dinner, Setsuna," Gaara said, standing to leave.

"Come by any time, Gaara-kun," she replied. She led him to the door and added, "I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you, too." Sasuke easily noticed the new affection between the pair, the same way he had seen it in Sakura, Ino, and Saki-san. Already he could see what the future held for Setsuna and Gaara, given the right push, and he silently approved. Gaara was strong, talented, good--

Who cares if he's good? thought Sasuke, catching himself. All that mattered was the revival of the Uchiha clan and the death of Itachi, nothing else. That's why he could ignore the angry hurt of his only real friends and destroy the dreams of the last relative who gave a damn...

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" The boy sighed when his cousin finally noticed him. God, she really was the worst shinobi he had ever met, and she had the abilities of one of the strongest demon of all time, not to mention all the powers of the Sharingan. "How long have you been there?" Setsuna asked.

"Just got in," he lied.

"Oh. Well, dinner's ready." Setsuna hesitated a moment, then she excused herself and left. It didn't matter to Sasuke, who went to eat in the first night of silence since his cousin appeared, sleeping soundly on his doorstep. Yes, he remembered the moment vividly. he probably always would, it had been so hard to believe...

---

It was very late. Sasuke had been putting in some extra training that day and he was tired. He almost didn't notice her-she had fallen asleep in the shadows while waiting for him. Were it not for the drowsy twitch of her tail, he may not have seen the girl at all.

In an instant he had her pinned to the wall, kunai at her throat. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. She let her eyes open sleepily, though she didn't appear fully awak. Actually, she seemed almost angry, and a snarl started Sasuke. It made him stumble back, and he finally noticed her demonic features, although they began changing right before his eyes. Her canines and nails grew, her tail bristled. She was more of an animal, holding Sasuke to the ground with immense speed and strength.

Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. The girl blinked, her rough features easing back to normal. "Oops!" She jumped off of Sasuke and offered a hand. "Sorry about that! I'm irritable when I wake up."

"Who. The hell. Are you?" he asked again.

"Oh. Right." She laughed a little. "Well, I'm Uchiha Setsuna. Turns out you and I are distant cousins and--"

"Liar!" It was all he could say. A survivor was impossible. Impossible! "The entire Uchiha clan died years ago..."

"I heard." She looked truly sad, this girl. Then she brightened and said, "But you're not, and neither am I! Plus, I can prove who I am." Setsuna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When they opened, she displayed the undeniable proof of who she was, of her survival. The Sharingan.

After that they were able to identify her parents through a series of photos and journal entires from Sasuke's late cousin, Uchiha Ochiro. But what lay heavy on Sasuke's mind since then was that raw strength, the pure ferocity his newfound relative had displayed upon meeting. He had never seen it again-only a clumsy girl who couldn't even complete simple handsigns. Sasuke knew Setsuna could easily defeat Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jaraiya together, if only she could tap in to that power! But she was so set on being _human_, so determined to fit in to the world of people that the demonic strength she possessed could only arise during a rude awakening, when she was trapped between reality and the sanctuary of her mind...

Sasuke envied her, and he knew it. He wanted that power, but he could never possess it. His jealousy made him angry with her, however irrational, simply because she wouldn't use it. He felt like a child as he prodded at his sashimi, brooding over these silly thoughts. Sasuke had gained an unlikely friend--family member, and he was too self-absorbed to accept her. To be happy again. What was he so afraid of?

Sasuke barely noticed when he stood, nor when he began to walk, but he found himself at the door to Setsuna's room. It was closed, but he didn't need to see her to know she was crying. The sound of her choked sobs were enough. She was trying hard not to be heard, to let out her troubles without bothering her cousin. It gave Sasuke a sudden desire to comfort the girl, but her whispered words stopped him.

"Naruto?" she gasped. "Why are you here?"

**Naruto**

He had snuck in through the window in time to see Setsuna's tears. It angered him, but he tried to control himself-he was here to comfort the girl, not upset her further. "I thought you could use a friend," he told her, earning a wobbly smile in return.

"You should be in bed, Naruto," Setsuna gently scolded, and Naruto laughed. "I'm serious. It's late, and we have classes tomorrow."

"I'll survive." He went to sit next to her, pulling Setsuna close. "What's bothering you?"

"I thought we wanted the same thing," she told him. He didn't have to ask to know she was talking about Sasuke again. "I guess I was wrong." She was like a rejected puppy, tail limp and eyes dropping to the ground. You half expected her to start whimpering.

"He's just ungrateful," Naruto stated, giving his friend a gentle squeeze. "Sasuke doesn't know what he's got. He's like a spoiled little kid." Naruto laid his chin on her head, letting the girl nuzzle in to him. She felt like family to him, or at least what he thought such a connection was like. Setsuna just seemed so helpless, sometimes, almost breakable. It made people want to protect her, and it took all Naruto had to finally go home once she fell asleep.

Such an empty place. It was moments like this that he noticed his own loneliness. Sasuke was lucky and he didn't even know it. What Naruto wouldn't give to know he had a relative, somewhere, that wanted so much to be with him. How could anyone bear this solitude, this isolation? Yet envy was just as suffocating. Again. Again that bastard had what Naruto wanted, taunted him with it, abused it. The very knowledge tore at the fox-boy, ate at his own soul.

He hated it. He hated the monster inside-hated the man who put it there. He hated the ones who rejected him, hated those that mocked him, hated everyone that had driven him to this madness...

But how he loved his friends. Sakura, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Kiba, Setsuna, Hinata, Shino, Lee, TenTen, Gaara, Neji, Granny Tsunade, Jaraiya, Ino, Choji, Kankuro, Temari, Konahamaru... Each one was like a little light in his personal darkness, strings trying to hold him up so he couldn't completely drown in all of it. But he wondered if it would be enough in the end, or if he would finally succumb to the beast within himself that whispered sins at every turn. Would he someday fall to the evil of Setsuna's own grandfather, Kyuubi?

Naruto didn't attend school the next day. Not that he confined himself to the house-he was a far too active boy for something like that. Instead he went to the training grounds, where he spent the entire day excersizing and perfecting his jutsus. It kept his mind busy, so he was able to forget his problems easily. Only when he was completely exhausted did Naruto allow himself to fall in to the soft grass. The sky above was a deep orange-it was sunset. Naruto laughed, convinced he had broken a record of some sort.

"N-Naruto?" The quiet, shy voice of Hinata startled him a little, but he tried not to show it as he sat up. The girl seemed hesitant, standing nearly ten feet away.

"Hey there, Hinata," Naruto greeted, smiling at his friend and beckoning her closer. "What's up?

"Everyone is looking for you," she replied, edging towards him. "I--we were a little worried when you didn't come to school."

"Wasn't feeling good. I'm better now, though." Hinata looked relieved. "How's Setsuna?"

"Good." She sat next to Naruto, appearing less nervous. He had noticed, over the years, that she was most comfortable not talking about herself. Or Naruto, for that matter. He wondered why.

"Why are you always so nervous around me, Hinata?" asked Naruto. "I've always been curious." A blush decorated her normally snow-white face and she began fussing with the sweatshirt she seemed to fond of. She appeared reluctant to answer, so he added, "Sometimes I think you don't like me..."

"No, Naruto, that's not it at all!" she exclaimed. "It's _because_ I like you that I--" Hinata stopped herself, trying to cover an apple red face with her hands.

"Oh," replied Naruto. "I guess I get it." He was still sort of confused, especially when Hinata had a mixture of relief and sorrow on her face. She then tried to hide it by looking in to the sky, where the first stars began to show. Naruto took this time to examine her-she had changed quite a bit since they were kids. In fact, he believed Hinata would be very pretty if she could stop hiding herself.

"Come on, Hinata," Naruto said. "Lets go home."

* * *

Sashimi- saw-shee-mee

Sashimi- a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce


End file.
